Injecting insulin
Injecting insulin is done subcutaneously, under the skin, but not into muscle or vein. It's best to pull up some loose skin into a tentTenting as shown with SimonTenting shown on a hairless cat for clarity, then insert the needle firmly, bevel side upClinical Skills Assessments, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago (pdf)FDMB discussion on injection technique for comfortCornell University Feline Health Center:How to Give an Insulin Injection Flash Movie. BD has animations with narrations to help you learn how to draw insulin properlyBD Diabetes-Drawing Insulin Animation with Narration. One can select from drawing one insulin or combining two insulins in the same syringe. Selecting this and the style of syringe you use personalizes the demo for your needs. The presentation is very clear and unhurried. BD also has a slideshow which shows how to inject your dogBD Diabetes Slideshow-Injecting a Dog or catBD Diabetes Slideshow-Injecting a Cat. Injecting cold from the refrigerator insulinInjecting Cold Insulin can sting, regardless of what species, type or brand. Bringing the insulin to room temperature by removing it from the fridge before actually using it can help avoid painful injections. Warming the capped insulin syringe with your hands can have the same effect. Some people tuck the capped and filled syringe under their arm for a few minutes to warm it before use. Do NOT attempt to warm insulin using a stove, microwave, etc.; you may destroy the insulin by doing so. Do NOT wipe the needle with alcohol as it removes the protective coating which makes injection easier and less painfulPetDiabetes.org-Tips for Comfortable Injections. :*Do not use the insulin if: :* The bottle appears frostedFlocculation & Loss of Potency of Human NPH Insulin-Diabetes /Care-ADA-1988Flocculation of NPH Insulin-Revista Clinica Espanola-(English Translation)-1994Frosting Caused in NPH/Isophane Insulin By Heat/Cold-Journal-Diabetes.org-1998Dorlands Medical Dictionary-Definition of Flocculation. :*Clear insulin that looks discolored or has turned cloudy. :*Cloudy insulin that appears yellowish or remains lumpy or clotted after mixingInjection Insulin-Transcript of American Diabetes Association Videotape-2003. There are sometimes leakage problems, when some insulin is lost when the needle is removed from the skinInsulin Leaking From Injection Site. Some possible reasons and "fixes" for this are holding the "pinch" or "squeeze" too long which you made to give the shot. The skin, now with insulin under it, is still being "squeezed" as it was before the insulin went under the skin. The "pinch" forces some of the insulin back out from the newly-created hole in the skin. Releasing the "squeeze" or "pinch" first, then counting to 10 before removing the needle from the skin may give the insulin time to penetrate the fat layer and prevent leakage. Short needles can also cause insulin leakage--switching to longer ones can also help. Injecting any insulin at the same site repeatedly over time or blunting a needle with re-useInsulin-Dependent Diabetes-Dr. Ragnar Hanas-Page 21 can cause a lipodystrophy: either lipoatrophy or lipohypertrophy. Either makes absorption unreliable. But varying the injection site can cause variability in action profile, too. This page illustratesCommon Human Insulin Injection Areas & Their Absorption Rates illustrates the most common areas humans with diabetes inject insulin and explains how absorption differs in various areas of the human body. This is true for ALL insulins. The new shot area needn't be very far from where the last shot was given--the distance of the width of 2 fingers will do fine as a measureJoslyn Diabetes Center-Tips for Injecting Insulin. Most of us dealing with pet diabetes vary the side we give the injections in--right side mornings and left side evenings, for example. This is another help in avoiding giving shots in the same areasBD Diabetes-FAQ's About Diabetic Dogs-Dr. Greco. Many people give insulin shots in the scruff of the pet's neck, which is now considered to be a less than optimum choice. The neck area provides poor insulin Absorption, due to it not having many capillaries, veins. etc. (vascularization). Other sites suggested by Dr. Greco include the flank and armpitBetter Medicine E-Newsletter-June 2006. Intervet recommends giving injections from just back of the shoulder blades to just in front of the hipbone on either side, from 1 to 2 inches from the middle of the backVetsulin-Preparing Insulin & Giving Injection-Page 2. See also diluting and combining insulin, rolling insulin, syringes and insulin pens. Further Reading *Washington State University-Diabetes Mellitus Good general information with photos and tips about drawing insulin. Pictorials *Sugarpet Tatty being injected, *Bob injecting his cat Stranger *Steve injecting his cat Jock. *BD Pictorial for cats *BD Pictorial for dogs *Another one for Cats *Another one for Dogs *Cornell University Feline Health Center-Giving Insulin Injections Flash Movie This contains good general information about drawing insulin and how to give insulin injections--not strictly for cats. Online videos *BD Animations *Video-Cats *Dogs Part 1 *Dogs Part 2 Injection Site Rotation *Rotating sites *Diabetic Skin Disorders Injection Time Tips *Tips on Giving Dogs Shots--Making it less Stressful References Category:InsulinsCategory:TipsCategory:Treatments Category:TermsCategory:Introduction